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Ford’s KC plant makes first half-ton truck to run on natural gas

An important innovation from AIM Chairman’s Council member Ford Motor Company.

From the Kansas City Business Journal

The first 2016 F-150 to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) rolled off the assembly line Wednesday at Ford Motor Co.’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo.

The CNG-capable truck has a 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8 engine with factory-installed hardened valves, valve seats, pistons and piston rings, allowing it to run on CNG, propane or gasoline, through separate fuel systems.

When equipped with the CNG package, the truck is capable of having a range of more than 750 miles on combined tanks of both gasoline and CNG. It gets an EPA-estimated rating of 22 mpg on the highway and 18 mpg combined.

“It’s exciting to see the first F-150s with the CNG/propane-prepped 5.0-liter V8 headed to customers,” Jon Coleman, Ford’s fleet sustainability and technology manager, said in a release. “Whether running on gasoline, gaseous fuel or both, the 5.0-liter V8 F-150 offers hardworking customers terrific towing and payload capability, and now an ability to operate on alternative fuel.”